The Adoration of the Shepherds
ca. 1535–40
Medium
Oil on wood
Dimensions
12 3/8 × 16 1/8 in. (31.4 × 41 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Maurizio and Dominique Canesso, in honor of Keith Christiansen, 2017
Accession Number
2017.651
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intimate glow of *The Adoration of the Shepherd*, painted around 1535–40 by Girolamo da Carpialso known as Girolamo Sellari visitors encounter a tender moment from the Nativity story. This small oil-on-wood panel (12 3/8 × 16 1/8 in.) depicts the Virgin Mary, infant Jesus, and Saint Joseph receiving humble shepherds, accompanied by cows and a donkey in a rustic stable. Da Carpi, a Ferrarese Mannerist active in northern Italy, draws from the legacy of Correggio and Parmigianino, blending graceful figures with soft, luminous modeling to evoke quiet reverence. Crafted during the High Rena...